The British couple, Alan and Judith Kilshaw, adopted twin girls over the Internet from their American mother, Tranda Wecker, by paying UK₤800 to Caring Heart Adoption, a Net-based firm. The Kilshaws were unaware, however, that Wecker had already sold the twins to another couple, Richard and Vickie Allen of California, for UK₤4,000. After visiting the girls at the Allen home, the birthmother secretly took the girls and resold them.

Adoption advocacy groups say the Internet can serve a legitimate purpose in adoptions. In many cases, however, the Internet is serving as a means to facilitate the already controversial and growing practice of private adoptions, and the illegal selling of babies.

Newsfactor Network spoke to several adoption experts who agreed that bidding for babies on the Internet is illegal and unethical, but they differed on the role the Internet should play in online adoptions.

Highest Bidder

Jane Nast, president of the American Adoption Congress, told NewsFactor that many of these adoptions are being driven solely by checkbook, while issues such as counseling and parent screening are being ignored entirely.

"Would you want to adopt a child through the Internet? Maybe people date on the Internet," Nast said, "but children are not a commodity, and to adopt online is not ethical or right."

Nast says that the majority of Net adoptions are of healthy white infants. Older children, on the other hand, are more likely to be adopted through traditional means.

Appropriate Net Uses

At the same time, Nast added that the Internet can serve some valuable functions to help those engaged in legal adoption processes, and as a useful information source for researching adoption agencies and advocacy groups.

A good example of proper Internet use, Nast says, is the posting of what were formerly called "blue books," which list children available for adoption through reputable non-profit groups such as adopt.org.

"The first connection is made through the Internet. Beyond that, it is done with real people. It is a way of communicating, but should not go beyond that," Nast said.

Middle Man

Nathan Gwilliam, chairman of Adoption.com, the Web's most frequented adoption site, sees a greater role for the Internet in the adoption process. Adoption.com lists parents and birth mothers seeking to connect for the purpose of entering into an adoption agreement.

But Gwilliam tells NewsFactor that the parents listed on his site must have been pre-screened and meet minimum legal requirements for adoption, including hiring an outside agency or social worker to undertake a home study. Once the parties have agreed on an adoption, they must then retain an agency or lawyer to facilitate the adoption through legal channels. (continued...)

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